Standards
Coordinating Capability Manager for Geospatial Information
On 04 September 2007, Deputy Secretary Intelligence, Security and International Policy (DepSec IS&IP) formally accepted the responsibility of Coordinating Capability Manager for Geospatial Information (GI) within the Department of Defence. For full details, see Defgram 13/2008 (pdf 40 kb)
Standards Office Mandate
The mandate of the Defence Imagery and Geospatial (DIGO) Standards Office (SO), as determined by Cabinet Directive is to determine standards and specifications for imagery and geospatial information in the Australian Defence Organisation.
Standards enable geospatial information interoperability by:
- Defining and describing geospatial information;
- Providing a standard approach to structuring and encoding it;
- Providing a standard mechanism for accessing, transferring and updating it via geographic information processing and communication functions, independent of any particular computing system; and
- Acquiring, controlling and disseminating current standards and specifications.
The SO works closely with Defence organisations like the Defence Capability Group (DCG) and the Defence Material Organisation (DMO) that deal with the adoption of emerging standards and specifications and various project teams and user groups within defence requesting standards advice.
Standards:
- Support innovation
- Increase productivity
- Improve efficiency
- Improve safety and risk management
- Establish credibility
- Simplify training
- Build confidence
- Ensure quality and consistency
DIGO participation on Standards Bodies
ISO
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the premier international standards body. It releases thousands of international standards as defined by applicable working groups. Under the ISO there are thematic working groups and the group involved in geospatial matters is Technical Committee 211 (TC211). Involvement in TC211 provides vision on all developing geospatial standards which may take years before final release. Such forward vision enables capability development in anticipation of new standards. Members of ISO are representatives of a country’s standards body (e.g. Standards Australia is the Australian member of the ISO).
Standards Australia (SA)
DIGO is a Department of Defence participating member of Standards Australia. Standards Australia has its own thematic working groups which again enable forward vision into developing technologies. Participation in SA bodies leads to participation into the ISO Technical Committee 211 (TC211). Most countries have their own standards bodies that ingest an ISO standard, applying local variances and often releasing it under the banner of the original ISO or with slight modifications or develop their own standards entirely.
Digital Geospatial Information Working Group
DIGO is a participating member of DGIWG. The Digital Geospatial Information Working Group (DGIWG) is a multi national member body responsible for geospatial standardisation for the defence organisations. It addresses interoperable geospatial information for joint operations or peace keeping roles. DGIWG applies standards developed by the OGC or the ISO to a defence environment. Membership is via MOU and invitation. (Abridged from the DGIWG home page).
Open Geospatial Consortium
DIGO is a participating member of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). The OGC is a civilian international geospatial standardisation organisation. Consisting of 0ver 300 member organisations from government, industry or education, the OGC develops interoperable consensus-based geospatial standards. The OGC provides standards up to the ISO as well as developing its own standards.
Standards Office Contact:
Assistant Director Standards - 02 612 77280
